Page 29 of Ascendant Moon
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Meanwhile, at the sheriff’s office
Scooter sat nervously in a hard plastic chair, waiting for his interview. He’d already taken and passed the civil service examination, and now came the hard part. He’d done practice interviews with Lou and Caleb, but this was the real thing and he’d never met Roy Tucker before. He’d been the sheriff of Delta County for over thirty years, tough but well-liked, and given his support to Lou as his replacement. That didn’t mean he’d like Scooter, though, and his wolf paced in his head as the clock slowly ticked.
At ten minutes after the hour, Scooter heard an unseen door open and the strong scent of a confident human male reached his nose. A few footsteps brought a gray-haired man into the waiting area, and Scooter stood to his feet. Tucker gave him the once-over and reached out to shake his hand.
“Nate Scoon? I’m Roy Tucker. Why don’t you come on back to my office and we’ll get this show on the road?”
Scooter was unused to hearing his given name, and other than his uniform, Tucker looked more like somebody’s grandpa than a seasoned lawman. Most likely he was both, but that didn’t matter at the moment. Tucker waved him into a seat and then sat down behind his desk, hands resting on the arms of a squeaky chair. Fortunately, he didn’t waste any time getting started.
“Well now, son, your application and school records look just fine, and Lou Harmon thinks you’d make a good deputy. I will say you’re a bit younger than the recruits I’ve hired in the past, but that isn’t necessarily bad. Lots of young bucks think that they’d make a good officer, but often for the wrong reasons.”
Tucker stopped talking and reached above his head to pull down a book entitled “On Combat” by Lt. Col. David Grossman. He laid it on the desk facing Scooter and asked a question.
“This fella says that there are three types of people in this world: sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. Which are you?”
Scooter’s heart raced. He’d read that book because Lou recommended it, and for a human, the author had some good things to say. Personally, it irked him that wolves were labeled as the bad guys anddogsas the heroes.
“I have a lot of respect for real wolves, Sir, but going by the book, I’m a sheepdog. I want to help those who are unable to protect themselves.”
Tucker’s scent revealed his surprise a moment before he slapped the desktop with a meaty hand and shook his head.
“Damn, son! That’s pretty heavy reading for someone your age, but I like your answer. Tell you what—if you pass the medical and psychological exams, the job is yours. I’ll get those set up today and email the details to you. I have a feeling you’re going to be a real asset to the department, and you can tell officer Harmon I said so.”
Smiles and handshakes followed, and Scooter drove home feeling like a million bucks.
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That same day, León
Shortly after Alpha Sheppard’s phone call, Jack met with Sergio, Nick, and Dante to tell them what he’d learned. Time was the most pressing problem, since their flight to the U.S. left early Sunday morning from Chihuahua instead of León. Jack handed that issue to Alpha Cruz, who deftly scheduled a Saturday flight for himself, Juan, and Jack’s group of six. His two council members had things well in hand, and would remain in León to oversee the transition. Meanwhile, Cruz and Ortega were needed back at the ranch to prepare for a large influx of new people, and to communicate with the other northern packs.
Applying for a passport in Mexico took at least eight weeks—time they didn’t have. Sheppard’s plan also called for a cooperative effort between his staff and Alpha Cruz to create bogus passports or other needed documents to use in the interim, enabling all three men to move freely between countries as necessary. Hopefully, the doctored items would be ready before their visit to Gladstone came to an end.
Jack and his bodyguards spent most of the day assisting Sergio, Nick, and Dante in packing up their apartments. Furnishings or other household goods were either given away or sold, leavingonly the essentials to be shipped to Chihuahua for temporary storage. Jack assured them that they could purchase what they needed when they arrived at their new home—wherever Luna intended to send them. All agreed that travel would be much easier if they only brought along a bag or two.
As for the rest of the pack, most would be transported by bus over the weekend, while the shipping crates with their belongings followed. A few would remain behind until homes and businesses were sold, and then they would join the others up north. At this point, most of the people wanted to remain together, either melding with the Chihuahua pack, or forming a new one of their own. That option would depend on how quickly they could find jobs and an available piece of property.
Once word got out that Sergio, Nick, and Dante might never join the rest of the pack in Chihuahua, an evening farewell party was hastily organized at the Navarro home. There were tears, some confusion, and lots of questions for the True Elders—particularly since Luna had not yet revealed where the trio would end up. There wasn’t time to prepare food or even provide chairs, but no one cared about that. Parting ways without a chance to say goodbye would have made the abrupt separation even more difficult, and the pack certainly didn’t need any additional angst or sorrow on the eve of their great migration.
Chapter 16
Saturday August 28th, Gladstone
Packhouse meals were never quiet affairs, especially on the weekends when more people were at home instead of work. Gray wasn’t used to the crowds, noisy overlapping conversations, or the fantastic food. William and the twins joined him for most meals, some at their home and some in the packhouse. Adding kids to the mix really stirred the pot, and he kept a close eye on his plate. Gray discovered early on that Kiah Eby freely helped himself to whatever he could reach, though the adorable little Alpha had taken a shine to him for some reason. William explained it when he asked.
“His wolf doesn’t yet consider humans a potential threat, so his Alpha senses aren’t on alert around you and he can just be a little boy. RJ has a similar effect on him, and that’s one of the reasons he and Jonah enjoy spending time with the twins. As he grows, Kiah will learn when and how to temper his Alpha tendencies, but he’ll always feel the urge to be in control. The skills are necessary for leadership among us, but I admit it taxes my patience from time to time. Jack seems to have less difficulty handling him.”
As the meal progressed, many people stopped to say hello—including a very pregnant Donna Follett and her rather intimidating mate, Lou Harmon.
“How are you, Gray? I understand if you’re feeling a little lost around here, but I hope you’re enjoying yourself. My daughter and brother and their mates are coming over for supper tonight at my home, and we’d love for you to join us.”
Gray accepted the invitation and briefly filled Donna in on Walter’s condition. She, if anyone, would understand the confusing medical terms and treatments he was enduring, and he hoped to ask her a few questions during their time together. After the couple left, William explained that she was expecting twins in less than two weeks, and was still seeing patients part time. That led to a discussion of quick-growing shifter pups and the importance of family in their society.
When the meal ended, the twins each took one of Gray’s hands as they made their way to the school playground. Several others had arrived first, including Katrine and Mandy and their girls, along with the Erwins and their son, Perry. Gray took a seat on one of the nearby benches to watch, and was soon joined by Evan Blair who sent his kids to play with the others. Like Jack, Evan was easygoing, and had the uncanny ability to know when someone needed to talk. In this instance, he broached a subject that had caused Gray a great deal of embarrassment a few days earlier.
“You should know that neither Jonah nor RJ are upset with you.”
